1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, image forming apparatuses such as printers and facsimile apparatuses have an energy conservation mode for achieving energy conservation. In energy conservation mode, energization of a unit or the like for forming an image is stopped in a standby state where image formation is not performed on a recording medium such as a printer sheet. Image forming apparatuses with such energy conservation mode are capable of reducing power consumption when image formation is not performed (that is, in standby mode).
For the energy conservation mode to be toggled to the image formation mode that allows image formation, it is required that a return instruction be received from the user.
For this reason, there is proposed a method in which an operation of opening a cassette with a holder portion for holding printer sheets is considered as a return instruction, on the precondition that printing is performed after restocking printer sheets (recording media).
According to the above-mentioned image forming apparatus, the energy conservation mode is toggled to the image formation mode when it is detected that an opening/closing member capable of exposing an internal mechanism of the image forming apparatus has been opened. This can improve the operability of the image forming apparatus.
However, if the opening/closing member is opened to expose the internal mechanism of the image forming apparatus, the user typically does some kind of work. That is, if the opening/closing member is the aforementioned cassette, the user restocks printer sheets. As a result, printing is not performed for a while after the opening/closing member is opened.
Therefore, if the operation of opening the opening/closing member is taken as a return instruction, image formation will not be performed for a while after the energy conservation mode is toggled to the image formation mode. This results in a wasteful consumption of power.